Roller-actuated switch-operating assembly

ABSTRACT

Actuator assembly for actuating a plurality of pushbutton switches from a single toggle lever having a roller mounted thereon includes a pivoted rocker member having switch-buttonactuating portions on its ends and a pair of opposed side flanges which are pivotally mounted to a support. Each of the side flanges includes a series of five holes spaced in a curved path along its length and adapted to receive and support one or more rod or roller members which may engage the lever-mounted roller for nonteasable actuation of the switches. By selectively mounting rods in one or more sets of opposed holes, the toggle lever can be alternatively caused to have nonteasable maintained contact at both ends of its movement, momentary contact at both ends, or maintained contact at one end and momentary contact at the other. In addition, where the assembly is to provide a maintained contact at both ends of its movement, it can be assembled so as to have a center &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;off&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position if desired.

United States Patent [72] Inventor AlexanderJ.Jakubauskas 8501 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, 111. 60631 [21] Appl. No. 881,048 [22] Filed Dec. 1, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 9, 1971 [54] ROLLER-ACTUATED SWITCH-OPERATING ASSEMBLY 12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 200/172, 200/67, 200/153 [51] Int. Cl ..H01h 13/28 [50] FieldoiSearch..., 200/67, 153.19, 68, (166SD), (172A); 74/96, 97, 107

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,203 12/1941 Krieger 200/67.7(UX) 2,506,196 5/1950 Boume.... 200/68 3,399,285 8/1968 Haderer ZOO/67.7 FOREIGN PATENTS 580,865 6/ 1933 Germany ZOO/67.7

Primary Examiner-David Smith, Jr. Attorneys-Robert W. Beart, Michael Kovac, Barry L. Clark and Jack R. Halvorsen ABSTRACT: Actuator assembly for actuating a plurality of pushbutton switches from a single toggle lever having a roller mounted thereon includes a pivoted rocker member having switch-button-actuating portions on its ends and a pair of opposed side flanges which are pivotally mounted to a support. Each of the side flanges includes a series of five holes spaced in a curved path along its length and adapted to receive and support one or more rod or roller members which may engage the lever-mounted roller for nonteasable actuation of the switches. By selectively mounting rods in one or more sets'of opposed holes, the toggle lever can be alternatively caused to have nonteasable maintained contact at both ends of its movement, momentary contact at both ends, or maintained contact I at one end and momentary contact at the other. In addition, where the assembly is to provide a maintained contact at both ends of its movement, it can be assembled so as to have a center off position if desired.

ea 5a so 48 54 I 62 500 5084 30 52b. 52d a 34 50b l 44 4g 50d -24 500 av Q 24" ROLLERACTUATED SWITCH-OPERATING ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to electrical switches and particularly to an actuator assembly which can be alternatively assembled so as to operate switches associated with it in a maintained action mode, a momentary action mode or a combination of both.

2. Description of the Prior Art Electrical toggle switches having a capability of being modified to operate in various modes of operation are known as evidenced by US. Pat. No. 2,506,196. In this patent a plurality of complete cam assemblies may be alternatively pinned to a rocker member and engaged by sliding contact with a ball mounted in a toggle lever. By requiring a separate and distinctively shaped cam member to be produced for each mode of operation desired in US. Pat. No. 2,506,196, it follows that an extensive amount of material, tooling, and separate parts must be kept in inventory to produce switches having all of the various modes of operation desired. Other patents, such an US. Pat. Nos. 2,633,510; 2,780,691 and 3,322,914, show the use of a single roller member within a switch housing which coacts with a cam surface to operate one or more sets of switch contacts.

SUMMARY It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator assembly which can be easily modified to permit the switch to provide maintained, momentary, or a combination of maintained and momentary operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a switch actuating assembly which is economical and requires a minimum number of parts.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an ac tuator assembly which has a minimal degree of friction between its moving parts and is nonteasable.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an actuating assembly which exerts sufi'icient force to actuate a plurality of switches at one time.

These objects are attained by the actuator assembly of the present invention wherein the actuator assembly includes a first movable member comprising a pivoted toggle lever having a single roller or a pair of rollers mounted at one end and spaced from the pivot in spring-biased engagement with one or more rod or rollerlike members mounted on a pivoted rocker member. The rocker member includes a pair of axially spaced side flanges having a plurality of aligned holes therein, preferably five, into which rods may be selectively placed depending upon the mode of operation of the switches desired. The holes are arranged generally along a curved line. Actuator portions on the opposite ends of the rocker member are adapted ,to be alternatively moved into engagement with adjacently disposed pushbuttons of a plurality of switches which are mounted in a fixed position relative to the rocker member pivot point.

In one embodiment of the invention, the toggle lever can provide maintained contact operation in either of its two extreme positions by placing a rod with a roller mounted on it in the center hole alone or a rod and roller in the center hole and rods in the two adjacent holes. However, when only a center roller is used, the force available for actuating the switches is greatly reduced since the moment arm at which the force is applied is much shorter. By removing the center rod (and roller) and having rods mounted only in the two holes adjacent the center hole, the toggle lever will operate to provide maintained contact operation in either of its extreme positions and will also have a center off position where the rocker member is held out of engagement with the switches at either of its ends. By placing rods only in the adjacent pairs of holes at each end of the rocker member and placing a smooth surfaced means such as a metal band in contact with each of the momentary fashion at either extreme of its operating movement or can be moved to a centered off position. Finally, by placing rods in the adjacent pair of holes at one end of the rocker and placing a smooth surfaced member around them and by placing a roller in the hole between the center hole and the hole at the opposite end of the rocker, the toggle lever can be made to have momentary action in one direction and main tained action in the other together with a center ofi' position.

Since the maintained action mode of operation of the actuator assembly is provided by engagement and overcenter movement of a pairof rollers mounted for rotation at points spaced from the pivot points of their supports, it will be readily appreciated that such mode of operation will be extremely nonteasable. This is so since the roller-roller engagement is unstable and because all of the friction between the two engaging members is rolling rather than sliding friction. Therefore, the rollers will immediately snap over each other as they reach their overcenter position. The tendency to snap over is enhanced by the fact that the rollers exert their maximum pressure on each other at their overcenter position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a switch housing incorporating the improved actuator assembly in a form capable of providing two positions of maintained actuation, taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 except that the working parts other than the toggle lever are left whole;

FIG. 2 is an end sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the toggle lever in the instantaneous position assumed as'the rollers move overcenter;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of actuator assembly wherein the toggle lever has a maintained center off position and two nonmaintained or momentary positions of actuation at its ends;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing another modification of the actuator assembly wherein the toggle lever has a maintained position of actuation at one end of its movement, a momentary position of actuation at its other extreme of movement and a maintained off position at its center between the maintained and momentary positions;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modification of the actuator assembly of FIG. 1 in which the center roller is omitted to provide a center off position;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the toggle lever and its rollers and the actuator or rocker member; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modification of the toggle mounted roller shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The actuator assembly of the present invention can be seen in FIG. I wherein a switch housing indicated generally at 10 adapted to be assembled to a hole in a panel has a U-shaped metal support bracket member 12 and a bushing member 14 fastened to the bracket and adapted to receive a nut member (not shown). A toggle lever 16 is pivoted by means of a pivot pin 18 within the bushing 14. Mounted at the lower open end of the U-shaped bracket 12 to the bracket legs 12 are a plurality of individual miniature switches 22, 24 having pushbutton operator members 22 and 2 1' respectively. Where, as in FIG. 2, the width of the individual switches 24 is not a multiple of the distance between the legs 12 of the U-shaped bracket 12 a spacer member 25 may be inserted between a pair of switches. To insulate the downwardly extending switch terminals 22", 24" from the terminals of immediately adjacent switches and from the bracket legs 12', thin sheets of insulating material 26 may be provided. A plurality of switches 24 may be aligned with each other at opposite ends of the bracket pairs of rods, the toggle lever can operate the switches in a 12 either within the bracket 12 or outside of it, and held to each other and to the bracket 12 by rivets or other fastening means 27. As seen in FIG. 2, rivets 28 pass through aligned holes (not shown) in the legs 12 of bracket 12 and into holes 29 (FIG. 6) in a rocker or actuator member indicated generally at 30 to provide a pivot axis for the same. At the opposite ends of the lower portion of the rocker member 30 (FIG. 1) are a pair of actuator arms, 32, 34 adapted to respectively engage elongated spring members 38, 40 mounted on rods 42, 44, respectively attached to legs 12'. Although the arms 32, 34 could engage the pushbuttons 22', 24 directly as tor assembly, rod members 52 can be inserted in the holes 50 as shown at 52b, 52c and 52d in FIG. 1. The rod members 52 are loosely mounted in the holes 50 and are prevented from falling out by being of a length just short of the distance between the legs 12 of the bracket member 12. In FIG. 1 a roller member 54 is mounted on the rod 520 for a purpose to be described later.

The rocker member 30 is pivoted about the axis of rivet 28 by a pair of axially aligned rollers 58 mounted by means of C- rings 59 on a shaft 60 movable axially of the lever 16 in slots 62 in the lower end of the lever. The rollers 58 are pressed downwardly with a relatively large force by means of spring 64 mounted in a recess 6 in toggle lever 16. The pivotal movement of toggle lever 16 during actuation is limited by stop portions 68 formed on the lower end of bushing 14.

When a large roller 54 is placed on rod 52c as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the toggle lever 16 will have two maintained positions of operation, namely, the one shown and another one wherein the lower end of the toggle lever 16 touches the lower left-hand stop portion 68 on the bushing 14. Although the rocker member 30 can be pivoted to its two extreme positions by the coaction between rollers 58 and 54 alone, it has been found that such coaction alone would provide relatively little force at the ends of arms 32, 34 due to the short moment arm at the point where the force would be applied to roller 54 and would be incapable of actuating a large number of switches such as the six switches shown. However, by placing rod members 52b and 52din the holes 50 b and 50d respectively, the total force imparted to rollers 58 by spring 64 as the rollers 58 are cammed upwardly by roller 54 is transferred instantly from the roller 54 to either rod 52b or rod 52d depending on the direction of actuation of the toggle lever 16. Since the moment arm of forces applied to the rods 52d or 52b is much greater than the moment arm of forces applied to roller 54 it will be readily appreciated that the forces available for switch actuation at the arms 32, 34 are greatly increased over that available where rods 52b and 52d are not present and are sufficient to actuate a large number of switches 22, 24.

In F IG. 3. the rocker 3.0 is shown as including rods 52a, 52b, 52d, and 52e. A metal member or band 720 is placed partially around the left-hand group of rods 52a, 52b and a similar member 72b is placed partially around the right-hand rods 52d and 52e. The center holes 50c are left open. Because of the smooth surface of members 72a, 72b and their downward slope, it can be readily seen that the rollers 58 will be pushed progressively upwardly against the spring 64 as the lever 16 is momentarily moved to either of its end positions. As soon as the lever 16 is released, the rollers 58 will immediately roll down the surface 72a or 72b and return to a centered position wherein each of the arms 32, 34 will be out of contact with the springs 38, 40 and the push buttons 22', 24'. This type of actuation by lever 16 is commonly referred to as momentary" action.

FIG. 4 shows a slightly different modification of an actuator assembly 30' wherein a metal band 720 provides a momentary action when the rollers 58 are moved to the left. When the rollers 58 are moved to the right to the position shown, they will pass overcenter of the rod 52d and will thus provide a maintained position of actuation of the switch buttons 24. Since there is no rod in the center hole 500, the toggle lever 16 will also have a third maintained off position in the center of its path of travel.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention wherein the roller 54 and the rod 520 shown in FIG. 1, are removed in order to provide an actuator assembly which has two maintained positions of actuation and a center ofi position.

Since the rollers 58 of FIG. 6 only rotateover a small arc of revolution during actuation, it is unnecessary that they be mounted for 360 rotation. In FIG. 7, the rollers 58 have been combined as a single roller with a hollowed out center portion which permits the limited degree of rotation required during actuation. By using one roller 58 instead of two rollers 58, it is possible to achieve an actuator assembly which eliminates any possibility of teasing which would be possible in theactuator shown in FIG. 6 if the axes of rod 60 and rod 52b were not mounted perfectly parallel. Referring to FIG. 6.it can be seen that if the rods 60 and 52b were not exactly parallel, then the two rollers 58, 58 could not engage the rod 52b on a common line parallel to its axis, but rather, would provide two overcenter operating points between which it might be possible to make the rollers 58, 58 remain (or be teased) without actuating the rocker 30. By substituting a single elongated roller 58' for the pair of separate rollers 58, it becomes immaterial whether the rods 60, 52b are exactly parallel since there can be only one point of contact and thus one point of overcenter action between roller 58 and rod 52b.

I claim:

1. An actuator assembly for simultaneously operating with a single pivoted toggle lever a plurality of separate switch devices mounted to a common housing comprising:

a rocking actuator member pivotally mounted on said housing;

at least one actuating arm portion at at least one end of said actuator member adapted to be selectively moved into operative engagement with a plurality of switch devices by movement of the toggle lever;

at least one toggle lever roller having its axis normal to the axis of said toggle lever and supported by said toggle lever for movement axially relative thereto as said toggle lever is moved between its two end extremes of movement;

a plurality of rod members mounted on said actuator member with their axes parallel to the axis of the said at least one toggle lever roller; and

means biasing said at least one toggle lever roller toward said rod members for applying'a force to said at least one toggle lever roller which may be selectively transferred from at least one of said rod members to at least one other rod member to move said at least one actuating arm portion as said toggle lever is moved.

2. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said rocking actuator member comprises a pair of opposed sidewalls having a plurality of sets of aligned holes therein spaced from each other and from the pivot axis of the actuator member, said plurality of rod members being supported by at least some of said sets of aligned holes.

3. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said sidewalls of said actuator member include at least three sets of aligned holes.

4. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said sidewalls of said actuator member include five sets of aligned holes, said holes being arranged along a curved path and including a center hole, a pair of intermediate holes, and a pair of outer holes.

5. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has rod members mounted in a center hole and the immediately adjacent holes on either side of said center hole, the center hole having its axis normal to a line which is also normal to the pivot axis of the actuator member, said line being normal to the length of the actuator member;

An actuator roller mounted on the center rod member, said actuator roller being operative to engage said at least one toggle lever roller and to compress said biasing means to a greater extent than said adjacent rod members whereby to cause said toggle lever and actuator member to snap to a maintained position of actuation at either of its extreme positions of travel and in a nonteasable manner as the axis of said toggle lever is first moved past the line containing the axis of the actuator pivot and the actuator roller and then moved past the line containing the axis of the actuator pivot and one of said adjacent rod members, the adjacent rod members being positioned relative to said actuator roller and the extremes of movement of said toggle lever so as to permit substantially all of the force generated by' the compression of the biasing means by the actuator roller to be transferred to one of the adjacent rod members as the toggle lever is actuated.

6, An actuator assembly as defined in claim Zwherein said actuator member has rod members mounted only in the sets of aligned holes immediately adjacent a center set of holes, said rod members being selectively operative to engage said at least one toggle lever roller and compress said biasing means to cause said toggle lever and actuator member to snap to a maintained position of actuation at one extreme of travel and in a nonteasable manner as the axis of said toggle lever is moved from a centered off position between said rod members and past the line containing the pivot axis of the actuator and the axis of one of said rod members.

7. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has pairs of rod members mounted in adjacent sets of aligned holes at each end of the actuator member, and means carried by each of said pairs of rod members and engageable by said at least one toggle-mounted roller for providing'a smooth path for the said at least one toggle roller as it is moved to its extreme positions, said at least one toggle roller having a diameter greater than the minimum distance between the intermost rod members of each of said pa ls of rod members so as to be retained by said intermost rod members in a central off position, said at least one toggle roller being movable progressively further against said biasing means as said at least one toggle roller is moved into engagement with and along the length of said means carried by the rod members in response to force being applied to the toggle lever to move it to one of its extremes of movement, said toggle lever returning to its ofif position when said force is released.

8. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said means carried by each of said pairs of rod members comprises a band which at least partially encircles each of the rod members forming the pair.

9. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has a pair. of rod members mounted in adjacent sets of aligned holes at one end thereof, and means carried by said pair of rod members and engageable by said at least one toggle mounted roller for'providing a smooth path for said at least one toggle roller and for moving said at least one toggle roller against its biasing means as it is moved by the momentary application of force to the toggle lever to one of its extreme positions, said actuator member further comprising a third rod member mounted at its opposite end in an aligned set of holes spaced from the innermost of said rod members comprising said pair by a distance less than the diameter of the said at least one toggle roller, said third rod member being engageable by said at least one toggle roller to compress said biasing means to cause said toggle lever and actuator member to snap to a maintained position of actuation in a nonteasable manner as the axis of said at least one toggle lever is moved from a centered off position between said pair of rod members and said third rod member to its extreme position past the line containing the axis of the actuator and the axis of said third rod member.

10. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said toggle lever supports a pair of identical rollers mounted on a common axis.

ll. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said togge lever sup ortsasingle roller.

' An actua or assem ly as defined in claim ii wherein said single roller is elongated and has solid circular end portions which support a shaft for mounting the roller to the toggle lever, said roller being partially hollow between said end portions for permitting a limited degree of rotation of said roller and a limited degree of movement of said mounting shaft axially of said toggle lever, said roller including a solid sector joining said circular end portions having a circular peripheral extent which is at least as great as the extent of rolling contact of the roller with the actuator member. 

1. An actuator assembly for simultaneously operating with a single pivoted toggle lever a plurality of separate switch devices mounted to a common housing comprising: a rocking actuator member pivotally mounted on said housing; at least one actuating arm portion at at least one end of said actuator member adapted to be selectively moved into operative engagement with a plurality of switch devices by movement of the toggle lever; at least one toggle lever roller having its axis normal to the axis of said toggle lever and supported by said toggle lever for movement axially relative thereto as said toggle lever is moved between its two end extremes of movement; a plurality of rod members mounted on said actuator member with their axes parallel to the axis of the said at least one toggle lever roller; and means biasing said at least one toggle lever roller toward said rod members for applying a force to said at least one toggle lever roller which may be selectively transferred from at least one of said rod members to at least one other rod member to move said at least one actuating arm portion as said toggle lever is moved.
 2. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said rocking actuator member comprises a pair of opposed sidewalls having a plurality of sets of aligned holes therein spaced from each other and from the pivot axis of the actuator member, said plurality of rod members being supported by at least some of said sets of aligned holes.
 3. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said sidewalls of said actuator member include at least three sets of aligned holes.
 4. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said sidewalls of said actuator member include five sets of aligned holes, said holes being arranged along a curved path and including a center hole, a pair of intermediate holes, and a pair of outer holes.
 5. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has rod members mounted in a center hole and the immediately adjacent holes on either side of said center hole, the center hole having its axis normal to a line which is also normal to the pivot axis of the actuator member, said line being normal to the length of the actuator member; An actuator roller mounted on the center rod member, said actuator roller being operative to engage said at least one toggle lever roller and to compress said biasing means to a greater extent than said adjacent rod members whereby to cause said toggle lever and actuator member to snap to a maintained position of actuation at either of its extreme positions of travel and in a nonteasable manner as the axis of said toggle lever is first moved past the line containing the axis of the actuator pivot and the actuator roller and then moved past the line containing the axis of the actuator pivot and one of said adjacent rod members, the adjacent rod members being positioned relative to said actuator roller and the extremes of movement of said toggle lever so as to permit substantially all of the force generated by the compression of the biasing means by the actuator roller to be transferred to one of the adjacent rod members as the toggle lever is actuated.
 6. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has rod members mounted only in the sets of aligned holes immediately adjacent a center set of holes, said rod members being selectively operative to engage said at least one toggle lever roller and compress said biasing means to cause said toggle lever and actuator member to snap to a maintained position of actuation at one extreme of travel and in a nonteasable manner as the axis of said toggle lever is moved from a centered ''''off'''' position between said rod members and past the line containing the pivot axis of the actuator and the axis of one of said rod members.
 7. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has pairs of rod members mounted in adjacent sets of aligned holes at each end Of the actuator member, and means carried by each of said pairs of rod members and engageable by said at least one toggle-mounted roller for providing a smooth path for the said at least one toggle roller as it is moved to its extreme positions, said at least one toggle roller having a diameter greater than the minimum distance between the intermost rod members of each of said pairs of rod members so as to be retained by said intermost rod members in a central ''''off'''' position, said at least one toggle roller being movable progressively further against said biasing means as said at least one toggle roller is moved into engagement with and along the length of said means carried by the rod members in response to force being applied to the toggle lever to move it to one of its extremes of movement, said toggle lever returning to its ''''off'''' position when said force is released.
 8. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said means carried by each of said pairs of rod members comprises a band which at least partially encircles each of the rod members forming the pair.
 9. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuator member has a pair of rod members mounted in adjacent sets of aligned holes at one end thereof, and means carried by said pair of rod members and engageable by said at least one toggle mounted roller for providing a smooth path for said at least one toggle roller and for moving said at least one toggle roller against its biasing means as it is moved by the momentary application of force to the toggle lever to one of its extreme positions, said actuator member further comprising a third rod member mounted at its opposite end in an aligned set of holes spaced from the innermost of said rod members comprising said pair by a distance less than the diameter of the said at least one toggle roller, said third rod member being engageable by said at least one toggle roller to compress said biasing means to cause said toggle lever and actuator member to snap to a maintained position of actuation in a nonteasable manner as the axis of said at least one toggle lever is moved from a centered ''''off'''' position between said pair of rod members and said third rod member to its extreme position past the line containing the axis of the actuator and the axis of said third rod member.
 10. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said toggle lever supports a pair of identical rollers mounted on a common axis.
 11. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said toggle lever supports a single roller.
 12. An actuator assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said single roller is elongated and has solid circular end portions which support a shaft for mounting the roller to the toggle lever, said roller being partially hollow between said end portions for permitting a limited degree of rotation of said roller and a limited degree of movement of said mounting shaft axially of said toggle lever, said roller including a solid sector joining said circular end portions having a circular peripheral extent which is at least as great as the extent of rolling contact of the roller with the actuator member. 